It’s OK though. The kids keep me in the loop about what apps have updated and let me know when they’ve found new Wi-Fi network names when we’re out and about, so it’s a “win-win” for everybody.
The percent of children with access to some type of “smart” mobile device at home (e.g., smartphone, tablet) has jumped from half (52%) to three-quarters (75%) of all children in just two years.
(Photo credit: Wayan Vota)
Today, 38% of children under 2 have used a mobile device for media (compared to 10% two years ago) and the percent of children who use mobile devices on a daily basis – at least once a day or more – has more than doubled, from 8% to 17% .
So how is this mobile device usage affecting TV watching?
Time spent with “traditional” screen media such as television, DVDs, video games, and computers is down substantially, by more than half an hour a day.
Television still dominates children’s media time, but new ways of watching now make up a large portion of viewing.
Television continues to be the most widely used platform for children’s educational content (Good news for PBS, Nick and Cartoon Network).
As you can imagine, economics affects mobile device ownership.
Access to mobile media devices and applications among poor and minority children is much higher than it was two years ago, but a large gap between rich and poor still persists.
Fortunately, the same study finds that reading is still popular with children.
(Photo credit: robynejay)
To date, the spread of mobile media devices like smartphones, e-readers, and tablets does not appear to have had a net effect on the amount or frequency of reading among young children.
I highly recommend you reading the study for yourself and if you have trouble accessing it using a mobile device, just ask the nearest kid to stop playing Minecraft long enough to pull up the article for you.
